Liberty Pillow

I was not satisfied with my LIBERTY pillow. Laziness never pays : I had not quilted it and it looked flat.

Neither was I pleased with the back of it, done with a basic cotton instead of a Liberty one. 

As regards the sewing of a zip : for those like me who have difficulties with this step, there is the solution of linking the two parts of the back of the pillow with strings, as shown on the last picture. The result is lovely.

Now my pillow looks perfect! 😃

TUTORIAL : How to Sew a Rod Sleeve on the Back of a Quilt

If you plan to use your quilt as wall hanger, one method is to hang it on rod fixed in the wall.

For this purpose, you will have to attach a hanging sleeve on the back of your quilt.

This tutorial will show you how to proceed to sew the sleeve and to attach it on the quilt back.

Cut a 5" large stripe of fabric. The length should be 1" less than your quilt.

Make a little hem on each side.

Fold your sleeve in two, lengthwise, and sew it before sewing your binding.

Sew you binding on the right side of your quilt and then hand sew it on the sleeve.
For the binding, you will find the explanations HERE and HERE.

Press and pin a little fold to allow the rod to have space.

Hand stitch the sleeve all along.

Take the pins away, your sleeve is ready.

Your quilt is ready to be hanged.

One Patch Baby Boy Quilt Tutorial from A to Z

Finished Size : 0.78 yards  x 1 yard

Required fabrics 

For the top :

1/2 yard printed fabric.

1/2 yard muslin or dotted white fabric.

 For the backing :

1.25 yard printed or dotted blue fabric. 

For the binding :

4" orange fabric

For the batting :

Wool Batting

For the Knots :

Embroidery white thread.

Cut both printed and white fabrics lenghwise in 5" stripes.
Then cut them in 5" x 5" squares.

Sew the printed and white squares together, right side against right side.
Make 8 rows of 6 units each.

Assemble the rows together.
Your top is done.

Cut your wool batting a little bigger than the top.

Cut your backing fabric the same size as the batting.

Baste and link with knots as shown HERE and HERE.

Bind your quilt as shown HERE and HERE

Simple Organic Baby Quilt

As soon as I finished my Double Four Patch top I started a new baby quilt. How pleasant it is to work on a quick and simple project!

Last week my third grandson was born and I am going to visit my son's family in London next November and bring the quilt with me. To start this quilt I have been waiting to learn wether the baby would be a boy or a girl, as I wanted to make one really boyish or girlish. Thus the project had to be very quickly done.

I chose printed organic fabrics with blue and white bears and a dotty blue and white fabric for the backing. The batting is 100% wool.

For the quilting beginners I am preparing a tutorial for this baby quilt from A to Z, with all the measurements.

Basting Tutorial

The first thing when you prepare basting is to cut the backing and the batting at least 4 inches larger and 4 inches longer than the top.

Draw a mark on the middle of your table.

Fold your backing in two lengthwise, wrong side against wrong side.

Line it up with the mark.

Open and fix it with a tape.

Do the same with your batting. Then fold your top in two lengthwise, right side against right side and line it up.

This is what you obtain.

These are the tools you need for basting your three layers.

Before stitching, put some pins to maintain the three layers together.

The spoon will help you to lift and grasp your needle effortless without moving the quilt.

Start from the middle of the quilt and stitch diagonal lines with big stitches.

The quilt is now ready to be fixed on the hoop for hand quilting.

Pieced Backing

As I never really plan my quilts, it's seldom that I have enough fabric in my stash for the backing. 

Usually I order a matching fabric. For my Liberty Four Patch top I had found in my stash an old floral fabric from Lucien, but so disappointed that it was only one yard. As I thought it was perfectly matching, I decided to use it and to complete with leftover squares from the top and to add a piece of lilac fabric. I must say that I enjoyed doing this for the first time. I am very pleased with the result and happy for the saving money on another fabric order! 

My lilac starts flowering and my quilting mood is lilac tone!

Spools in the Fall Light

These days I have not the time to sew anything, being occupied with my sister who came to visit me.

So I only have those pictures to show you. I took them in the dining room when there was a beautiful light. 

I find those Kaffe Fassett fabrics so warm, cheerful and bright that I could not resist to put my Spool quilt 

on the table for a fall composition, and to take pictures.